Motor homes, slide-in truck campers, camper vans, travel trailers, and other recreational vehicles may be equipped with a movable section known as a “slide out”. A slide out is a movable structure that may be extended outward from an external wall of the recreational vehicle (RV), thereby increasing interior space in the RV. The slide out may be retracted back into the RV so that the RV remains below the maximum size limits for a vehicle to be moved on public roads. Some slide outs include a roll-out awning that extends automatically when the slide out is extended and rolls up automatically when the slide out is retracted. The roll-out awning extends above the roof of the slide out and is provided in part to prevent rain and debris from accumulating on the roof.
FIG. 2 shows a pictorial view of an example of an RV slide out. In FIG. 2, a slide out 10 may be seen extending outward from an outer vertical wall 12 of a part of the coach section of an RV. The slide out 10 includes two vertical side walls 14 (only one visible in FIG. 2), a vertical outer wall 16, a floor (not shown), and a roof 18. Any of the vertical walls of the slide out 10 may optionally have one or more windows, for example a window 22 in the outer wall 16. A roll-out awning 24 extends over the slide out roof 18 from the outer vertical wall 12 of the RV and may extend past the walls (14, 16) of the slide out. The roll-out awning 24 includes an awning sheet 26 attached on one side to a tensioning and retraction mechanism 28, which keeps the awning sheet 26 taut and winds the awning sheet 26 in a roll when the slide out 10 is retracted. A slide out seal 20 prevents water, dirt, and debris from entering the interior of the RV.
Many slide outs with roll-out awnings have a substantial gap between the underside of the awning sheet 26 and the slide out roof 18, as shown in FIG. 2. The gap, which may be from about two to about six inches (five to fifteen centimeters) high, is present along both sides of the slide out. Even though the awning sheet 26 may extend over the sides of the slide out roof 18, rain, dust, leaves, and other debris may enter through the gaps and accumulate on the roof, especially in windy conditions. Dirt and debris on the slide out roof 18 may damage the slide out seal 20 when the slide out 10 is moved or prevent the slide out 10 from fully retracting.
To prevent damage to the slide out seal and slide out, it is routine practice to clear the slide out roof of dirt, debris and standing water before retracting the slide out. However, the slide out roof may be higher than a person can reach from the ground, so a ladder and long-handled broom are often used to clean the roof. The longer and higher the slide out roof, the more difficult and time-consuming it is to clean. Furthermore, ascending a ladder to clean a slide out roof may be unpleasant or even unsafe in wet or windy conditions or where the ground is soft or uneven. What is needed is a device for preventing debris from entering the gap between the awning and the slide out so that the slide out roof remains clean. What is further needed is a device that may be easily installed and retrieved by a person standing on the ground. What is also needed is a device that may easily be stored in a cabinet, drawer, or bin of a size commonly found in recreational vehicles.